Music reviews: The Joy Formidable, Ra Ra Riot

By Jeff Loudon

Friday, January 25, 2013

The Joy Formidable - "Wolf's Law"

Originating in North Wales, The Joy Formidable, fronted by guitarist and lead singer Ritzy Bryan, got their start through the release of a variety of singles in 2008 which were later combined for an extended EP, "A Balloon Called Moaning," in 2009. Two years later, after touring the world in support of many big names, The Joy Formidable returned with their official studio debut, "The Big Roar" which drew comparisons to everyone from Passion Pit, a band they have toured with, to Arcade Fire.

Despite their early comparisons, The Joy Formidable are much more similar to the likes of Smashing Pumpkins or Metric in both sound and mood. Blending an in-your-face blast of distorted sound with serious melodies is not an easy task, but The Joy Formidable accomplish this feat by giving Bryan's vocals the focus, providing order amongst the chaos; or at least some clarity amongst the distortion. In this sense, "Wolf's Law" follows a very similar formula.

The biggest change to The Joy Formidable's sound on their second full-length record is the addition of strings and other classical-inspired moments which they introduce in the opening seconds of the album's premiere track. "The Ladder is Ours" kicks off the band's latest offering with 45 seconds of strictly classical music; filling the ears with high-pitched swells of melodic beauty before abruptly throwing fans back into familiar territory. For many listeners, these brief moments of clarity are a welcome change of pace as "Wolf's Law" progresses. Although there are really only three of these moments throughout the album, it is clear The Joy Formidable thought their positioning through carefully; evenly spacing them them at the beginning, middle, and end of the album.

If you enjoyed "The Big Roar," you will not be disappointed by "Wolf's Law," but aside from an expanded instrumentation at times, The Joy Formidable sound a lot like they're on cruise control. "Cholla," "Little Blimp," and "The Leopard and the Lung" are all solid rock tracks with heavy riffs and endless energy, but nothing truly stands out as unique or memorable. The one track that does think forward is "Maw Maw Song," but coming in at nearly seven minutes in length, it is unlikely anyone will even hear it unless they purchase the record.

After early hits like "Whirring" and "Austere," The Joy Formidable were labeled as a band with enormous potential. Two albums later, they are still treading those waters.

They are at their best when performing live and "Wolf's Law" gives them a great deal of excellent material to bring to that setting, but for now, it still feels like they are capable of something even bigger.

Similar Artists: Sleigh Bells, Metric

Track Suggestion: "Maw Maw Song"

Three stars

Ra Ra Riot - "Beta Love"

What just happened to Ra Ra Riot? After enlisting the services of producer Dennis Herring, who has worked with everyone from Elvis Costello to Modest Mouse, Ra Ra Riot has ditched much of their early sound for synth-heavy dance pop. Rebecca Zeller's violin work is still there, providing those unique and colorful flourishes fans have come to expect, but when applied to faster tempos and more pronounced electronic beats, the beauty of her strings often falls flat.

Skip to track five and give "For Once" a listen to hear how drastically Ra Ra Riot's sound has changed. Although many tracks pump up the tempo to beats per minute never even imagined on their debut, "The Rhumb Line," "For Once" maintains a familiar up-tempo walking pace similar to that of early hits like "Ghost Under Rocks," making it ideal for such a comparison.

The biggest differences are heard when listening to the percussion. On "The Rhumb Line," the drums nearly always take the back seat to the strings. Even when the drums are given more of a feature, as they are on "Too Too Too Fast" and "Dying is Fine," the melodies soar over top. On "For Once," however, nearly every instrument is just utilized to emphasize the rhythm and nothing more. The violin does occasionally come in for some quick color, but it is hidden so far back in the mix that you really have to be listening for it to make any sort of impact.

The other key difference is, quite simply, a greater reliance on electronic instrumentation. Cellist Alexandra Lawn's departure from the band was clearly the push factor they needed to explore the potential of synthesizers with their sound and the more they explored, the further they travelled from the expectations of their fans.

Ra Ra Riot's dramatic change in sound can be compared to the differences heard after The Morning Benders changed their name to POP ETC. It's not that the new sound is bad, it's just a huge disappointment to those who enjoyed the original formula. If "Beta Love" had been released by a new band or even as a side project of lead singer Wesley Miles, it would be easy to praise it for its blend of genres, but after two great records it seems Ra Ra Riot's compass may be broken.

Similar Artists: Passion Pit, POP ETC

Track Suggestion: "I Shut Off"

Two and a half stars

If you have any comments or you're a local artist and would like to see your album reviewed, contact Jeff at JLoudonReviews@gmail.com